Proxy and DNS workarounds to be foxed by BT’s Parental Controls porn block

BT will launch its Parental Control system later this month and tech savvy teens will have a hard time using proxies and DNS to get around it.

Following the launch of TalkTalk’s HomeSafe and Sky’s Broadband Shield, BT will become the third main ISP to launch a filtering service. Designed to give parents and families greater control over what can be accessed in the home network, BT’s system will go a step further.

“We have taken steps to cover off and mitigate the bypass routes such as proxies and DNS,” a BT spokesperson said. Designed to prevent clued up youngsters from working around it, it won’t interfere with speed-sensitive activities like multiplayer gaming.

Recombu wasn’t allowed to take photos at a demo of BT Parental Control, but we were walked through the main features.

When it’s switched on, all BT Broadband customers will be asked whether they want to activate Parental Control.

There’s a choice of Light, Medium and Strict filters, or users can customise their own usage restrictions with an extensive list of categories such as pornography, extremism, and self-harm.

Further temporary restrictions can be set up, such as Homework Time, which restricts social networks and online games while your kids are supposed to be working.

There’s a further security twist if little Johnny gets hold of the account owner’s password to adjust the Parental Control settings – it will send an email to notify of any changes.

Update: Unfortunately, BT weren’t happy with their spokesperson’s actual words, and have asked us to add this statement: “Although no solution is 100% effective and should be seen as a tool to be used in combination with other parenting measures and education, we’ve taken steps to mitigate the risk of bypass of some of the more obvious methods, such as change of DNS and by blocking access to proxy URLs.”